This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-338465, filed Nov. 29, 1999; and No. 2000-353146, filed Nov. 20, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an optically readable information recording medium on which digital information is recorded as a dot pattern defined by a matrix of dots which are recorded by printing. Also, the present invention relates to an information processing method for reading and reproducing the dot pattern from such information recording medium, an information processing apparatus for reading the dot pattern from the information recording medium, and a program recording medium which stores a program for making a computer operate as the information processing apparatus.
Various image recording methods and apparatuses for printing, on a sheet-like print medium such as a paper sheet, film, or the like, a readable image such as a character, symbol, figure, pattern, photo, image, computer graphic image, or the like that a person can visually and directly read, and an optically readable audio encoded image which includes a one- or two-dimensional barcode obtained by encoding audio data have been proposed.
For example, these methods and apparatuses are disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 60-244146, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,896,403, 6,544,557, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-51645 (corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/900,959), and the like.
According to the techniques disclosed in these references, since audio is printed on a sheet surface, a readable image and audio can be integrated on that sheet surface. By reading that audio encoded image using a dedicated reader, the user can easily hear audio while observing the readable image.
Especially, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,896,403, 6,544,557, and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-51645 disclose a technique that encodes data such as audio data or the like to a dot code as an audio encoded image which can be easily optically read by a manual scan and prints that image on a sheet-like print medium such as a paper sheet or the like together with a readable image.
FIG. 1 shows the physical format of the dot code.
That is, a dot code 1 is formed by two-dimensionally arranging a plurality of blocks 2 at neighboring positions. Each block 2 is defined by a data dot pattern portion 3 in which data obtained by braking up audio data to be recorded in units of blocks are present as a predetermined two-dimensional matrix of dot images of black dots or white dots (white as the background color of a print medium is often directly read in practice) corresponding to xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d as their values, markers 4 which are located at the four corners of each block to be used to find a reference point for reading dots (dot data) in the data dot pattern portion 3 and has a given run of black dots, and a block address pattern 5 which is located between neighboring markers to be able to identify the plurality of different blocks upon reading and includes an error detection or correction code.
According to this dot code 1, even when the entire size is larger than an image sensing field 6 of the reader, in other words, even when the dot code 1 cannot be sensed by the reader by one shot, entire original data can be reconstructed from data included in the individual blocks as long as addresses assigned to the blocks 2 can be detected in units of blocks together with data dots included in each block.
Therefore, audio data or the like can be actually recorded on a sheet surface, and the recorded data can be easily read even by a manual scan.
Such dot code can include so-called multimedia information including image data, video data, text data, and the like in an optically readable format in addition to the aforementioned audio data.
As an apparatus that processes such multimedia information, a personal computer (PC) is well known.
Multimedia information recorded as a dot code may be sent to the PC, and may be reproduced on the PC.
However, since collaboration between the dot code and PC has not been satisfactorily examined, some problems remain unsolved.
For example, in order to reproduce multimedia information recorded as a dot code, the PC must have all control programs, parameters, and application data files which are expected to be used.
The operator must start an application program for reproduction in advance.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the conventional problems, and has as its object to provide an information recording medium, which allows the PC to reproduce multimedia information read from a dot code even when the PC does not have all control programs, parameters, and application data files which are expected to be used.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an information processing method and apparatus, which can reproduce multimedia information even when the operator does not start an application program for reproduction in advance, and a program recording medium which stores a program for making a program answer apparatus such as a computer operate as such information processing apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code comprising:
information for controlling an external apparatus that processes digital information in accordance with an application program to designate and start the application program; and
a data file used by the started application program.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code comprising:
a control file for designating and controlling an application program in an external apparatus which processes digital information in accordance with the application program; and
a data file processed in accordance with the designated application program.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information,
the code including:
information for controlling an external apparatus that processes digital information in accordance with an application program to designate and start the application program; and
a data file used by the started application program,
the method comprising the steps of:
optically reading the code;
reproducing the information for designating and starting the application program and the data file from the read code;
designating and starting a corresponding application program in accordance with the reproduced information for designating and starting the application program; and
passing the reproduced data file to the started application program.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information,
the code including:
information for controlling an external apparatus that processes digital information in accordance with an application program to designate and start the application program; and
a data file used by the started application program,
the apparatus comprising:
reading means for optically reading the code;
reproduction means for reproducing the information for designating and starting the application program and the data file from the code read by the reading means;
starting means for designating and starting a corresponding application program in accordance with the information for designating and starting the application program, which is reproduced by the reproduction means; and
means for passing the reproduced data file to the application program started by the starting means.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable program recording medium which stores a program including a command for making a computer execute:
a process for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information, the code including
information for controlling an external apparatus that processes digital information in accordance with an application program to designate and start the application program, and
a data file used by the started application program;
a process for reproducing the information for designating and starting the application program and the data file from the read code;
a process for designating and starting a corresponding application program in accordance with the reproduced information for designating and starting the application program; and
a process for passing the reproduced data file to the started application program.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information,
the code including:
a control file for designating and controlling an application program in an external apparatus which processes digital information in accordance with the application program; and
a data file processed in accordance with the designated application program,
the method comprising the steps of:
optically reading the code;
reproducing the control file and the data file from the read code;
designating and controlling a corresponding application program in accordance with the reproduced control file; and
passing the reproduced data file to the controlled application program.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which records data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information,
the code including:
a control file for designating and controlling an application program in an external apparatus which processes digital information in accordance with the application program; and
a data file processed in accordance with the designated application program,
the apparatus comprising:
reading means for optically reading the code;
reproduction means for reproducing the control file and the data file from the code read by the reading means;
control means for designating and controlling a corresponding application program in accordance with the control file reproduced by the reproduction means; and
means for passing the reproduced data file to the application program controlled by the control means.
According to a eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable program recording medium which stores a program including a command for making a computer execute:
a process for optically reading, from an information recording medium having a portion which data corresponding to audio information, image information, text information, or the like as an optically readable code, the code, and reproducing the information,
the code including
a control file for designating and controlling an application program in an external apparatus which processes digital information in accordance with the application program, and
a data file processed in accordance with the designated application program;
a process for reproducing the control file and the data file from the read code;
a process for designating and controlling a corresponding application program in accordance with the reproduced control file; and
a process for passing the reproduced data file to the controlled application program.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.